Ankara in 10 quick, fun facts

A city of contrasts and with a beautiful cultural legacy, a top holiday destination, here is Ankara in 10 quick, fun facts!

Let’s see some of the reasons why this part of Turkey deserves a worthy spot on your travel list.

1. Though many people believe Istanbul to be the capital city of Turkey… surprise! It’s not; it’s actually Ankara.

2. Ankara is, however, only the second largest city, after Istanbul.

3. Ankara was formerly known as the city of Angora.

4. The symbolic animal of the town is… the Angora Goat! This goat has soft, long hair and the wool resulted (also known as mohair) is very fine and expensive.

5. You might have also heard about the Angora Cat. Predictably enough, this animal is also from Ankara.

6. Turkey sits on two continents: Europe and Asia. But only 3% of its territory belongs to Europe.

7. The “Republic of Turkey” was proclaimed, after 623 years under the Ottoman Empire’s rule, on October 29th 1923. This happened in Ankara. On that day, Mustafa Kemal (later known as “Ataturk”, meaning the “Father of Turks”) was named the first president of the new republic.

8. Ankara is called “the green city” because (statistically speaking at least) every inhabitant has some 72 meters of green area.

9. No visit to the city would ever be complete without a visit to the Citadel of Ankara.

10. Ankara is the place to eat an authentic kebab, from a huge rotating meat skewer. The local food is very carnivorous, but of course, very tasty as well.

We believe Ankara to be a truly outstanding place and an imperative stop on your travels through Europe and Asia as well. And if local transport is an issue, be sure to go online and book some Ankara airport transfers prior to your trip.